Q BioMed has exercised its option to exclusively license GDF15, a diagnostic marker for determining the severity of glaucoma using the expression levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) from the Washington University in St. Louis. The company says determining the severity of glaucoma using this biomarker will aid in treatment decisions for patients diagnosed with, and being treated for, glaucoma.
Currently, no single examination or diagnostic test is able to accurately predict disease progression, with physicians only having surrogate measures to evaluate glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Q BioMed says GDF15 represents an attractive biomarker for glaucoma with distinct advantages over conventional clinical tests (such as early detection) and the potential to be a first-in-class diagnostic test.